It's always interesting to see how promoted teams get on in a higher division. Currently of the 5 teams who gained promotion throughout the TML, one team, Dutch FC seemed to have adapted to life the quickest.
TML16 saw 3 new teams join the league. This weekend saw Bruno FC claiming their first victory, Eastern Capital beat Clash on their debut match a few weeks back. K2 Tokyo Expendables have gone one better by taking all 6 points avaliable.
K2 recruited well in the Summer. They have brought people out of TML retirement and also signed payers from all TML divisions.
Since gaining promotion to Division 1 in TML14 Pumas FC have been building something special. FJ Plate winners in the same season, FJ Cup winners in TML15 and Division 1 Champions in TML16? We will have to wait and see if they can continue their good form which helped them overcome last years Champions Hibs on Saturday evening.
The Pumas are a young team. What comes with youth is energy and pace. This certainly helped them to defeat the experienced Hibs.
Last season saw Nepal Utd and King George battle it out to see which team would finish bottom of Division 3. Nepal beat the already promoted Shane FC 3-2 in their last game to claim the all important 9th spot.
Two and a half months later they kicked off TML16 looking at improving on their 9th finish last season and they did so in style.
They played some lovely neat short passes throughout the game on Saturday verses BEFC Lions. The Lions were unable to contain the pace of which Nepal were attacking and ended up losing 4-0.
TML16 kicked off on a boiling hot Saturday afternoon. The team to play the most sizzling Football on matchday 1 was Zion FC.
Zion FC finished last season strongly and their form seems to have carried onto this season too.
The Summer 7s returned to YC&AC after being held at St Marys last year. 16 teams all equipped with water, suntan lotion and some even with their own tents were ready to burn off their post World Cup hangover in style.
Prior to each tournament I often get asked who is good and who are the favourites? Being a professional I always sit on the fence but I may mention a few teams by name. This tournament was odd in a way that a few big guns ended in the Plate tournament. They do say it’s a ‘funny old game’.
The final match of the season saw British Embassy take on the Champions Tokyo Hibernian. The match was significant for 2 reasons. Firstly is was Rafa's last TML match before he returns to Italy and Tomo was chasing the Division 1 Golden Boot award. He was trailing BFC's Kohei Hanada by 3 goals.
The game started with an early British Embassy goal. A minute later Hibs hit back and equalized. Before half time they scored again to make it 2-1. Tomo had scored one of the goals, he needed 3 more to be the leading scorer outright.
This Saturday will see a TML Legend play his last game in Japan. Raffa will be leaving Japan early next month with a heavy heart and heavier luggage! With 8 TML Division 1 titles and 5 FJ Cups, we can only hope he doesn't mind paying for the extra baggage costs. Raffa will be attending the End of Season Award Ceremony on the 30th June so please all come down and say goodbye.
Panthers FC
BEFC
Hibernian FC
FC Sagarmatha
Eastern Capital FC
Brunello FC
Pumas FC
YeBoiz FC
Clash FC
FC International
Guapo FC
SUNS FC
Sala FC
Fussa FC
Zion FC
YC&AC
Dutch FC
FC Nomade
Shane FC
BFC Tokyo
King George FC
BEFC Lions
Lions FC
Saitama JETS FC
Kilimanjaro FC
Jetro FC
Teranga FC
Albion Old Boys FC
